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I — II— iiarn i= =ii— II— its=i i — i i--.j r=riF=ri i-- i i--.||s=i P==l t^^L.^ n=lt=lt=j] 



HOW NESHOBE CAME UP 

INTO THE 

GREEN MOUNTAINS 



ALSO THE DISCOVERY 
OF LAKE BOMBAZON BY 
SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN 



El 



COMPILED BY JOHN MacNAB CURRIER. M. D. 



ID 



10 



10 



10 



NEWPORT, VERMONT 
1914 



&][=1I=][=IEI 



[^l=][=IISSIIS10l=]S]BISI=lls»s»SE]|=II=ir=l 



ij 




BIRTH PLACE OF CAPT. JOSIAH POWERS, 
AND SITE OF THE GARRISON HOUSE 



HOW NESHOBE CAME UP 

INTO THE 

GREEN MOUNTAINS 



ALSO THE DISCOVERY 
OF LAKE BOMBAZON BY 
SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN 



COMPILED BY JOHN MacNAB CURRIER. M. D. 



NEWPORT, VERMONT 
1914. 






By Transfer 

SEP 24 1923 



PART ONE 




>l'i;i lAi'I,]-, I'ONI), I,(»N(; I'OXH ANIi XAiKx; I'ONl) 



HOW NESHOBE CAME UP INTO 
THE GREEN MOUNTAINS. 



[Read before the Ladies' Reading Circle of Newport, Vt., 
October 21, 1914, by Mrs. Sarah Foster, Sec.-Treas.] 



CHAPTER I 

NESHOBE — ITS ORIGIN AND MEANING. 



In Daniel P. Thompson's novel, Tke 
Green Mountain Boys^ appears an Indian 
scout by the name of Neshobee. Inas- 
much as many of the characters in that 
unique production were real personages bear- 
ing their own family names one would 
naturally wonder if this was a real red-skin 
from the forests of New England. We 
shall soon learn upon investigation that the 
name was a genuine Indian word, but the 
character was fictitious. In tracing this 



word to its true origin, and its apparance 
among the Green Mountains we find that 
it arrived about twenty-three years before 
the word Vermont was coined and applied to 
this northern New England wilderness, 
when this whole territory was known only 
as the New Hampshire Grants. The word 
is a place name of Indian origin. It means 
double water, or a locality where there are 
two ponds, or bodies of water, spectacle 
shape.* 

This name was originally applied to the 
locality in or near Littleton Mass., where 
the Rev. John Eliot established his sixth 
praying band of Indians. The word was 
spelled Nashobah but it has been variously 
spelled: Nashabah, Nashop, Nashope, and 
Neshobe. The town was situated mostly 
in Littleton. 

♦Proceedings of the Littleton, (Mass.) Historical Society 
1894-1895. pages 117-121. 



CHAPTER II 

HOW THE WORD CAME TO THE GREEN 
. MOUNTAINS. 



This word was brought up into the Green 
Mountains by one Capt. Josiah Powers, a 
native of Nashobah, and a land speculator 
of the New Hampshire Grants. On Oct. 
20, 1 761 the town of Brandon was chartered 
to Capt. Josiah Powers, then a resident of 
Greenwich, Mass., and sixty-five others, by 
Benning Wentworth, governor of New 
Hampshire, by the name of Neshobe. Capt. 
Powers came to the new town to reside in 
1774. He commenced early to buy up the 
shares of the original proprietors of the 
town, and soon became the largest share 
holder of the new town of Neshobe. He 
and his Brother Dr. Benjamin Powers were 
the only original proprietors who settled in 
the town. New settlers came in, purchased 
land, cleared off the trees, built buildings, 
and soon there was a thriving settlement. 

The name of Neshobe thus became a fix- 
ture in Rutland county in a few years. 
The small stream of water that flows through 
the town was called Neshobe river, and it 
still bears that name (19 14). 



Mr. Thompson when lie wrote the Green 
Mountain Boys, selected Neshobee for the 
name of his Indian scout, and probably did 
not know the origin or meaning of the word 
himself at the time, at last no information 
was given of it in his works. 

On July 4, 1881 the Rutland county his- 
torical society conferred the name of Nes- 
hobe on the island in Lake Bombazon in 
Castleton, in memory of the name of the 
Indian scout in the Green Mountain Boys. 
The society soon afterwards adopted a coat- 
of-arms for the island, a cut of which is in- 
serted in this work, and a full description 
of it was given in the second volume of the 
proceedings of that society. 



CHAPTER III 



GENEALOGY OF CAPT. JOSIAH POWERS.— AN 
ANCIENT FAMILY, REACHING BACK TO 
THE ORIGIN OF THE ENGLISH NATION. 



Capt. Josiah Powers was born in the 
Garrison house, in Nashobah, now in the 
town of Littleton, Mass., and "was drowned in 
attempting to ford a stream on horse back, 
which was swollen by the flood, while on 
his return from Windsor, where he had 




But Neshobe Dieth never. 



Coat-of-Arms of Neshobe Island. 



been to attend the Legislature, in October 
1778." Capt. Powers had ten children. 
He was a son of Josiah Powers, a grandson 
of Walter Powers, and a great grandson of 
Walter Powers, all of Littleton, or Concord, 
Mass., the original emigrant from the coun- 
ty of Waterford, Ireland, about 1654. Capt. 
Powers was in the Revolutionary war, and 
was elected a member of the constitutional 
convention in 1778. Dr. Benjamin Powers 
was his brother, but was never married; he 
died previous to 1783. 

It is very evident that there were several 
distinct families by the name of Powers who 
emigrated to America from both England 
and Ireland, from a period commencing 
soon after the landing of the Pilgrims even 
to the present time who were only remotely 
connected with the Neshobe line, and not 
descendants of Walter. But the family that 
we are concerned with was that of Walter 
Powers, who was born 1639, ^i^^ ^eh. 22, 
1708, married March 11, 1661, Trial, daugh- 
ter of Dea. Ralph and Thankes Shepard, 
born Feb. 10, 1641. 

The following paragraph is copied from 
the Powers genealogy: "At the time of 
their marriage, Walter and his wife settled 
on a tract of land in or near Concord, which 



10 

took the name of Concord Village, now in 
the town of Littleton, and adjoining the 
Indian town of Nashobe, which Deacon 
Ralph Shepard bought of Lieut. Joseph 
Wheeler; and built his house on the north 
side of Quagany Hill, about half a mile from 
the Garrison house, and less distant than 
that from Nagog pond." 

Under date of May 14, 1654, the General 
Court of Massachusetts granted the Nasho- 
bah Plantation to "Mr. Jno. Elliott on behalf 
of seuerall Indians," "to make a town in yt 
place," [Nashobah]. On Nov. 2, 17 14, the 
town of Nashoba, 4 miles square, was in- 
corporated by the General Court. On Dec. 
3, 17 15 the name of Nashobah was changed 
to Littleton. 

On May 9, 1694, Walter Powers of Con- 
cord, bought "one Quarter part of an Indian 
Plantation known by ye name of Nashoby," 
of Weegrammominet alias Thomas Waban 
of Natick. 

There have been many prominent mem- 
bers of this Neshobe Line of the Powers 
family, some of which we will mention: Dr. 
Thomas H. Powers, an efficient temperance 
advocate in Vermont, and superintendent 
of the rebuilding of the State House in 1858; 
Hiram Powers the sculptor, of world wide 



11 



fame; Hon. H. Henry Powers, Judge of 
the supreme court of Vermont from Decem- 
ber 1874 until December 1890, and con- 
gressman from 1890 to 1900; Hon. George 
M. Powers, appointed judge of the supreme 
court of Vermont in June 1904, and appoint- 
ed chief iustice of the same October i 
1913; and Hon. Samuel T. Powers, repre- 
sentative to Congress (19 14) from Massa- 
chusetts. 

The name of Powers was derived from the 
Norman word: le Poer, variously spelled: 
le Puher, le Poher, le Poer. 

King Henry II, (1154-1189), and the 
Norman Family, le Poer (Poer) were very 
firm friends. One branch of le Poer family • 
settled in England, and from time to time 
extensive lands were granted to this family 
by the reigning kings. But the family of 
le Poer whom we are the most interested in 
was that of Robert le Puher ( le Poer) in 
1 177 to whom King Henry II, granted the 
City of Waterford, Ireland, with all the 
circumjacent province, as a fair reward for 
his services to the King as marshal. The 
government of this City and Province re- 
mained in the Powers family till 1704, when 
the male line became extinct. The inheri- 
tance fell to Catherine Poer, who married 



12 



Sir Marcus Beresford, in whicli name tlie 
charge now remains, thougli the Powers 
blood still flows in their veins. 

From this Waterford line of Powers ( le 
Poer) came Walter Powers who settled in 
Littleton, Mass. in 1661, though his parent- 
age is still undetermined. This Walter 
Powers and his descendants constitute the 
Nashobah, or Neshobe line of Powers. 



CHAPTER IV 



NEW HAMPSHIRE GRANTS. — NEW CONNECTI- 
CUT. — VERMONT. — NESHOBE CHANGED TO 
BRANDON. 



On the 15th day of January 1777 the 
general convention was held at the Court 
house in Westminster and passed the fol- 
lowing vote: "That we do hereby Proclaim 
and Publickly declare that the District or 
Territory comprehending and Usually 
Known by the name and description of the 
N. Hampshire grants of Right ought to be 
and are hereby declared forever hereafter 
to be considered as a Seperate Free and 
Independant Jurisdiction or State by the 
name and to be forever hereafter called and 




TRADITIONAL SITE OF THE INDIAN FORT AND WELL 
NEAR FORT POND IN NASHOBAH PLANTATION. 



13 



Known and distinguished by the name of 
New Connecticut alias Vermont." 

On June 4, 1774 the General convention 
that was held at Windsor, had become 
aware that there was another district of 
land called New Connecticut they therefore 
"resolved that hereafter the district known 
as the New Hampshire Grants, and by 
this convention on the 15th of January 
1777 was named New Connecticut, now 
therefore Resolved that this district shall 
hereafter be called and known by the name 
of Vermont." 

On the 20th day of October, 1784, the 
name of the town of Neshobe was changed 
to Brandon by an act of the legislature. 



PART TWO 




LAKE BOMBAZON. NESHOBE ISLAND. AND BIRCH POINT. 
IN CASTLETON. VERMONT. 



17 

THE DISCOVERY of LAKE BOMBAZON 
BY SAMUEL de CHAMPLAIN 



[Read before the Ladies Reading Circle of Newport, Vermont, 
October 21, 1914 By Mrs. Sarah Foster, Secretary — Treasurer.] 



CHAPTER I 



LAKE BOMBAZON — THE TRUE HISTORY OF 
THE NAME — ITS CHANGE TO BOMOZEEN. 



Lake Bombazon in Castleton was dis- 
covered in 1609 by Samuel de Cham plain. 
When his Expedition was at the South End 
of the lake that bears his own name he sent 
an exploring party to the country to the 
East. When they reached the Southwestern 
shore of the Castleton lake their eyes be- 
held all at once the smooth surface of its 
quiet waters, which reflected the foliage of 
the surrounding shores, to such a degree 
that it resembled the appearence of the new 
cloth that they all, by common concent 
called: Bombazon* 

*In the reign of Queen Elizabeth, 1558-1603. there wat a 
new kind of cloth made in Norwich. England, of lilk warp 
and worsted weft, which came into use quite rapidly and ex- 
tensively, called Bombazon, or Bombazine. The French 
spelled it Bombazin and pronounced it Bombazon. The word 
is derived from the latin word Bombycinus. for silk. 



18 



Over one hundred years this locality was 
little visited by the white man, still the 
name Bombazon lingered around the ver- 
dant shores of the lake. 

We find that Wm, Blodgett published a 
map of that section of Vermont in 1789, on 
which appears in Castleton, LAKE BOM- 
BAZON. 

On a map of Vermont by D. F. Scotz- 
mann, published by Carl Ernest Bohn in 
1796 appears BOMBAZON SEA. 

On a map of Me., N. H., and Vt., that 
refers to the census of 18 10 appears the 
name, L. Bombazine. 

In Zodock Thompson's Vermont gazet- 
teer, edition of 1853, the name of the lake 
is called Bombazine. 

Inasmuch as the new cloth in Queen 
Elizabeth's time was very popular and in 
extensive use, not only in England but in 
France at the time when Champlain dis- 
covered the lake it would be very natural 
to apply the name to the lake whose waters 
so much resembled the cloth. Besides 
there are several traditions and ledgends 
that linger around that beautiful lake that 
go far to confirm the statement that the 
Champlain origin of the name BOMBAZON 
is the true one. Thirty years ago there 



19 



was a tradition in Castleton that Cham- 
plain's exploring party followed up the 
north side of the Castleton river to the out- 
let of Lake Bombazon thence up the west 
side of the outlet to the south westerly 
shore of the lake. 

About i860 the name of the lake under- 
went a sudden change, largely through the 
influence of one man, for many years pre- 
viously it had been called by Bombazine, 
an English word for the original French 
word Bombazon. Bombazine fell into dis- 
use and Bomoseen came into constant use. 
Major R. M. Copeland took a fancy to the 
lake and settled on the west side of it, 
where he built a fine cottage on one of the 
wooded elevations just over across a ravine 
through which he had to pass on leaving 
the main road to reach his residence. He 
admired the lake and every spot in Castle- 
ton, and never ceased to do the place an 
honor. The name of the lake did not suit 
him, he assumed that the name was intended 
to mean Bomoseen, claiming that the 
Indian sachem, Bomozeen of Norridgewock, 
Maine, was intended to have been the real 
name of the lake in Castleton, and that this 
sachem used to visit it frequently and 
bestowed his own name upon it. I will 



20 

quote Hon. Henry L. Clark'sletter of June 
22nd 1914, in full. It throws much light 
on this point, besides containing much 
other valuable historical matter in Castle- 
ton. 

"Your note of Saturday about Copeland 
is received. His name was Robert Morris 
Copeland. I cannot give the exact date of 
his coming to West Castleton to reside. It 
was between 1859 and i860." 

"He and his wife commenced purchasing 
lands in town in 1853, and on April ist. of 
that year in deed from M. W. Bliss he is 
described as of Roxbury, Mass. In a deed 
dated Oct. 9th. 1858 he is described as of 
Waltham, Mass. and on May 6th. 1859 he 
is described as of Belmont, Mass. The 
next deed in order of date was to his wife, 
Josephine G. Copeland and is dated June 
ist. i860 and in that she is described as of 
Castleton, Vermont." 

"You are mistaken in thinking he had 
anything to do with the Bomoseen House. 
That was erected by William N. Batch- 
elder. The latter the late Egbert J. Arm- 
strong bought the Old Mansion House of 
Col. F. Parker and wife, March 20th. 1868 
and divided the lot June 23rd. 1868 Arm- 
strong taking the westerly portion and 



21 



Batchelder the easterly part, and the Man- 
sion House was demolished and the erection 
of the Armstrong store and the Bomoseen 
House was commenced. I came here July 
20th. 1868 and the building was then start- 
ed and was completed that season." 

"Concerning Mr. Copeland, I have a 
pamphlet published in 1864 in which the 
Major recounts his troubles and tribulations 
with President Lincoln and the Secretary 
of War etc. and I am sending you the same 
under a separate cover." 

When I resided in Castleton, 1876-1887, 
I gathered up much historical matter per- 
taining to that town. I then learned that 
it was largely through the influence of 
Major Copeland that the new three-story, 
brick hotel, being erected in i860, was 
named Bomoseen House, and by this means 
the name was familiarized and fastened 
upon the lake. No one then cared what 
the lake was called, and no one cared to 
know its history. Indeeds of land adjoining 
the lake it was called by several names, 
such as, the pond, Castleton pond, and, the 
gieat pond. 

There is nothing in print to show that 
Bomazeen of Norigwok was ever in Castle- 
ton. Not a tree was cut in that town for 



22 



thirty-seven years after Bomozeen's death 
in 1724. He was shot by Captain Moul- 
ton's party as he was making his escape 
through the river at Taconnet in Maine. 
It may safely be said that Bomozeen's 
name was never given to the lake in Castle- 
ton, though it resembles Bombazine some- 
what. He never was there to apply it 
himself, and the savage creature never had 
friends enough who would want to apply 
it to anything so picturesque as Lake Bom- 
bazon. The application of the name Bom- 
bazeen was wholly founded upon assump- 
tion, simply from its resemblence to the 
Champlain term BOMBAZON. 



CHAPTER II 

MAJOR COPELAND'S NATIVITY. — MILITARY 
OFFICES HE HELD IN THE ARMY. — 
TROUBLES HE HAD WITH HIGHER OFFI- 
CERS. HIS DISMISSAL FROM THE ARMY.- 

INTERVIEWS WITH PRESIDENT LINCOLN. — 
QUOTATIONS FROM LINCOLN'S REPLIES TO 
HIM. 

Major Copeland seems to have been a 
man somewhat visionary and flighty in his 
methods and works, and had but little prac- 



tical ability, and did not like to devote 
much time in historical research. He used 
assumptions in place of facts, and was hasty 
in his conclusions. Major R. Morris Cope- 
land was the son of Hon. B. F. Copeland 
of Roxbury, Mass. He went into the war 
of the Rebellion as a quarter master of the 
2nd. Mass. Regiment. Later he was promot- 
ed and served on the staff of General Banks. 
When in the army he was somewhat erratic 
and meddlesome, and got into trouble with 
higher officers. The following charges 
were preferred against him, and he was 
peremptorily dismissed from the service: 

War Department, Adjutant-General's Of- 
fice, Washington, Aug. 6, 1863. 

"Major R. Morris Copeland, assistant 
Adjutant-General, United States Vols, hav- 
ing violated an important trust committed 
to him while serving on the staff of the gen- 
eral commanding the Department of the 
Shenandoah, is, by direction of the President, 
dismissed the service of the United States, 
to take effect Aug. i, 1862. 

By order of the Secretary of War. 
E. D. TOWNSKND, 
Assistant Adjutant-General." 

He was dissatisfied with this hasty dis- 
missal and succeeded in getting an interview 



24 



witli the President about Hs case. Mr. Lin- 
coln came to the j^oint at once with the fol- 
lowing reply: 

"Well, Sir, I know something about your 
case, and I'll tell you what I know. You're 
that man who went to Boston about the 
time Jackson broke through at Front Royal, 
and wrote letters and editorials abusing the 
Administration, and made speeches, and did 
all that you could to make a fuss." A little 
later in the interview he got the following 
sentiment or opinion from the president: 

"But I do know that you sent a most im- 
proper and malicious telegram, in cipher, 
to a Boston editor, which no officer had a 
right to do, saying I was scared, McClellan 
was to be captured, and we were all going 
to ruin. * * * * I could see plainly 
enough that you belonged to that class of 
men who are trying to make all the mischief 
for the Government that they can. Fact is, 
I believe you want to help run this Govern- 
ment; and, because you don't get as much 
notice as you think you deserve, you are 
trying to make trouble." Lastly the fol- 
lowing remark from Mr. Lincoln closed the 
interview: 

"The fact is, I am inclined to believe that 
you are a mischief-making fellow, and good 



25 



for but little as an officer, and capable of 
doing a great deal of barm; and tberefor, 
tbe sooner you are out of tbe service, tbe 
better." 

In 1864 Major Copeland publisbed a 
pampblet to vindicate bis character, and 
claimed tbat bis dismissal did bim an in- 
justice. From tbat work I bave quoted 
extracts from Mr. Lincoln's remarks to sbow 
tbe character of tbe man wbo so successfully 
put tbe true bistory of BOMBAZON in tbe 
sbade, for so many years, by substituting 
tbe name of a brutal savage because bis 
name resembled tbe true name bestowed by 
tbe discoverer of tbe lake. It is unfortu- 
nate tbat tbe early names of places sbould 
be supplanted by new and meaningless 
ones. Particularly bas New-England suf- 
fered by discarding tbe old Indian place- 
names, tbey all bad a meaning. Equally 
unfortunate is it to manufacture names for 
places, baving no significance whatever just 
because a name is wanted tbat would sound 
Indiany. Sucb a name a few years ago was 
invented for a dirty mud bole, or frog swamp 
in tbe town of Woodstock, Vt. A man built 
a dam across a little rill, flowed a swamp 
and converted it into a shallow pond, and 
gave it tbe name, Lacota, for no other 



26 



reason, than because it rhymed with Daco- 
tah. It has no significance whatever, it was 
only an explosion of the voice. 



PART THREE 




SCREW-DRIVER TO A FLINT-LOCK GUN 



29 



DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRA- 
TIONS; AND MANY HISTORICAL 
FACTS CONNECTED THEREWITH. 



Birth-place of capt. josiah powers 

AND SITE OF THE GARRISON HOUSE. ExtactS 

from Mr. Josepli A. Harwood's letter of Aug. 
6, 1914: "This view shows the site of the 
Powers Garrison House. The site as nearly 
as we can make out (which is probably 
pretty correct) is in the foreground in front 
and a little to the right of the dead tree, 
which shows in the picture. This view was 
taken facing about north east." 

"This is the spot to which tradition 
points most strongly as the site of a fort 
built by the Indians of Nashobah for protec- 
tion against hostile tribes. It is a hillside 
facing Fort Pond, which would be to the 
right of the picture." This is also the site 
of the settlement of Walter Powers the 
ancestor of the Neshobe line of the Powers 
family in America. 



30 



Spectacle pond, long pond, nagog 
POND. On August I, 1914, the town of 
Littleton, Mass., celebrated its two-hun- 
dredth anniversary of its incorporation. 

The Littleton Improvement Society issu- 
ed a booklet of 16 pages giving numerous 
first class views of the town. By the kind 
permission of that society, through the in- 
fluence of Harry W. Knights and Joseph 
A. Harwood of that town I have been allow- 
ed to insert this half-tone cut in our work. 
The Natick word Nashobah means between 
ponds, or between waters, and has its deriva- 
tion in this locality, however variously the 
word may be spelled. It was here that the 
Rev. John Elliot, had one of his praying 
bands of Indians located, and the town of 
Nashobah chartered for their exclusive 
residence May 14, 1654. The word Nagog 
means "Corner," having reference to the 
corner of the town on that pond. It was 
from this very locality that Capt. Josiah 
Powers brought the name of Neshobe up 
into the Green Mountains. 



Traditional site of the Indian 
fort and well near fort pond 

IN NASHOBAH PLANTATION. The hol- 

low is the traditional site of the well 



31 



where the occupants of the fort obtained 
their water. The hollow has been stoned 
up in early times which makes it very prob- 
able that it was the veritable site of the well. 



Old burying ground in Littleton, 

MASS., bearing a CROP OF CORN IN 1914. 

"Here Walter Powers and other early 
settlers of Littleton were buried. As you 
see, it is now [19 14] in a corn field. It ex- 
tended from the foreground to the woods, 
or nearly there. No stone has been stand- 
ing within the memory of any one living, 
but the Littleton Historical Society has one 
or two of the stones, found in neighboring 
walls, one of them is Drobably that of Wal- 
ter Powers, marked W P FY 19, 1708. 
This spot is nearly or quite half a mile from 
the Garrison House. The view was taken 
facing east." 

COAT-OF-ARMS OF NESHOBE ISLAND. This 

plate is taken from the second volume of 
the proceedings of the Rutland County 
Historical Society. It was adopted by that 
society August 6, 1884, and is thus des- 
cribed: 

Dexter chief, ermine; sinister base, argent. 
On ermine an annulet gules, in which is 
Neshobe Island vert, above waves azure. 



32 



On argent is a deer purpure, at gaze, be- 
tween a flook of wild geese or, and a brace 
of arrow-heads gules. 

On a bend sinister sable, a fisb. or, natant 
between a pond-lily bud argent, and the 
American eagle or, perching. 

Crest: Indian gules, paddling a birchen 
canoe or, between two drakes vert, natant, 
on waves azure. 

Motto: ''BUT NESHOBE DIETH 

never:' 



LAKE BOMBAZON— NESHOBE ISLAND- 
BIRCH POINT, IN CASTLETON, VERMONT. 
This view was taken about 1885, looking 
southwest. Neshobe Island appears in the 
back ground, but it is much nearer the east- 
ern shore of the lake than to the western. 
Birch Point appears on the left-hand. It 
was on this point that the Rutland County 
Historical Society conferred the name of 
Neshobe on the island, on July 4, 1881, in 
memory of the Indian scout in Thompson's 
novel. The Green Mountain Boys. Thomp- 
son picked up the discarded name of Nes- 
hobe for his scout, that the town of Brandon 
had borne for twenty-three years, and had 
been nearly forgotten by the inhabitants of 
Rutland county at the time the novel was 
written. 




OLD BURYING GROUND IN LITTLETON, MASS. 
BEARING A CROP OF CORN IN 1914 



{ 



33 



Screw-Driver to a Flint-Lock Gun. 
This cut is tlie exact size of tlie implement, 
sucli as was in use in the Revolutionary 
war. This was the property of Col. Noah 
Lee of Castleton, Vt., one of the very first 
settlers of that town, and an ofiicer in the 
Revolutionary war, a veritable Green Moun- 
tain Boy. He was the commanding officer 
of the squad of soldiers who went from^ 
Castleton to White Hall to capture that 
town in 1775, mentioned in Thompson's 
novel. This Revolutionary relic was obtain- 
ed by Mr. S. H. Langdon of Castleton at 
the auction sale of Col. Lee's effects, after 
his death, and was presented to the author 
of this book about 1883, by Mr. Langdon. 



Screw-Driver Pond, just a few rods west 
of lake Bombazon in Castleton, was so 
named from it resemblance to that imple- 
ment. The following is a description of it 
given by Hon. Henry Hall of Rutland, 
author of several Vermont books: 

"The screw-driver is a three armed im- 
plement of steel, one arm is for turning 
screws, another is a hammer for clipping 
the flint to a sharp edge — the third is 
pointed to keep the priming hole cleared." 



34 



Screw-Driver Pond was so named from 
its shape resembling the shape of the im- 
plement in the illustration. The name 
grew into use. 

Major Copeland did not fancy the term 
then in use when he settled in the vicinity 
so he gave it the name of Glen Lake, and 
as no one cared what it was called, it came 
into general use, and supplanted Screw- 
Driver Pond. 



PRICE LIST OF HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL 

WORKS. FOR SAJ.f: BY 

JOHN M. CURRIER, M. D., NEWPORT. VT. 



Orleans County Historical Society 
Publications. 

Archivfs of Science and Transactions 
of the Orleans County Historical Society, 
£870-1874. 8vo. Paper, pp. 256. Price $2.50 

Proceedings, 1887 to November i88g; 
paper cover, 8c/ pages. This volume con- 
tains Judge Stewart's history of the kid- 
napping of Charles Allen Thorndike Rice 
in 1860. with an account of his hiding 
with his mother, from his father and his 
detective police, in the town of Derby; 
and of their successful escape to Europe 
after about one month's wonderful and 
almost unendurable hardships. This boy 
was fitted for college and graduated at 
Oxford; after which he returned to 
America and was editor and proprietor 
of the North American Review. Only a 
few copies issued. Price $2.50 

Proceedings from A ugust, 1890, to Sep- 
tember, 1891, paper cover, 30 pages. 

Price 50 cents. 

Proceedings^ A ugust 27, 1892, paper cov- 
er, 20 pages. Price so cents. 

Proceedings, /902-j, paper cover, plate, 
3$ pages. Price 50 cents. 

Proceedings, 1904-5-6, paper cover, plate, 
■ft pages. Price 50 cents. 

P>-oceedings, 1907-8, paper cover, 46pages. 
Price 50 cents. 

Proceedings, 1909-10, paper cover, 92 
pages; several full-page illustrations; de- 
voted largely to the centennial celebration 
of Runaway Pond of Glover, Vt. Besides 
the centennial address of the Hon. F. W. 
Baldwin, it contains the semi-centennial 
address of the Rev. Pliny H. White. 

Price $1.00. 

Proceedings, 1911-12, on extra fine paper. 
Contents: Report of the annual meeting 
.\ugust, 1911; further account, by His Ex- 
cellency, Ex-Gov. Josiah Grout, of the kid- 
napping of Charles Allen Thorndike Rice 
in 1860, and of the unsuccessful search for 
the boy in Derby, Vt.. by the father and 
his skilled detectives, and Report of the 
annual meeting of the Historical Society 
in August, 1912. Illustrated. Limited 
edition. Price $1.00. 

Annis Genealogy. By John McNabCur- 
rier, M. D. 8vo. Paper. 74 pages. 1909. 
On heavy Old Stratford paper. Price $2.00. 



Only 250 copies issued. This work give* 
the first three generations of the Annie 
Family in America, and will be found use^ 
ful in tracing the Family history of any 
one bearing that name. The descendants 
of David Annis of Bath, N. H., who died 
in that town August 18, 1824, are brought 
down, quite extensively, to the present 
time (1909). 

Genealogy of Richard Currier of Salis- 
bury and A mesbury, Mass., in 1640, includ- 
ing the first three generations and several 
lines of his deseendants down to the present 
time (^1910). By Harvey L. Currier. Also 
Ezra Currier of Bath, N. H., and his de- 
scendants down to the present time (1910), 
by fohn M. Currier. On Old Stratford 
paper; «}^ x9J^ X 1V$. Illustrated. Un- 
cut. Price, bound in stiff covers. $4.00. 
This work will have an increasing value 
IjCcause of the treatment of the early gen- 
erations. Only 250 copies were issued. 

Publications of the Rutland County 
Historical Society. 

Proceedings of the Rutland County His- 
torical Society, Vol. i, 1881, svo. Paper, 
pp. 191. 

Proceedings of the Rutland County His- 
torical Society. Vol. 2. From 1882 to 1887. 
Paper. Containing vast amount of local 
history. Price $2.00. 

L og Book of Timothy Boardman kept on 
board a privateer in 1778. Also biographi- 
cal sketch of the author. Albany, 1885^ 
4to. pp. 88. Paper. After Mr. Beardman 
left privateering he settled in Rutland 
County, Vermont, where he spent the re- 
mainder of his life. Price $S. 00. 

Afemorial Exercises in Castleton. Vt., in 
1881. Contains vast amount of historical 
matter by various old soldiers, pp. 66. 
Paper. Price 75 cents. 

History of the Christening the Island of 
Neshobe in Lake Bombazon, by the Rutland 
County Historical Society, July 4, 1881. 
Compiled by John M. Currier, M. D., Sec- 
retary. It is rare to find more local history 
crowded in 49 pages than in this rare book. 
Only a few copies were issued, and was 
never advertised. Paper, pp.40. 

Price $1.00. 



Miscellaneous. 

Red- Hook of Neshobe, pp. i6. Wiolel Book 
of Neshobe, pp. 24. Orange- Book of Nesho- 
be, pp. 12. Blue-Book of Neshobe, pp. 12. 
Printed in colored inks. By the Owls of 
Neshobe Island, and Eacles of Cedar 
Mountain, Castleton, Vt. These books 
were issued to familiarize the name of 
Neshobe on the Island in Lake Bombazon. 
Price $1.50. 

Song of Hubbardton Raid. This eives 
an account of the raid of the citizens of 
Hubbardton, Vt., on Castleton Medical 
College for the recovery of the stolen body 
of Mrs. Churchill, 1880, pp. S6. Paper. 

Price 50 cents. 

History of Bird's Mountain Masonic 
Monument 2500 feet above the Level of the 
Sea. Compiled by fohn M. Currier, M. D. 
Paper, pp. %i. Albany, N. Y., 1887. Plate. 
Uncut. Only one copy issued for each 
brick in the Monument. This Monument 
was struck by lightning: and injured, a 
few years after its erection. This was a 
unique structure, and the book will be- 
come rare tome day. Price $1.00. 

History of Freemason ry in Newport, Vet - 
mont, for One-Fourth Century. Compiled 
by John M. Currier, M. D.,J2'^, Newport, 
Vermont. Published by MemphremagoR 
Lodge 1890. Paper, pp. 154. Price $2.50. 

John P. Phair. \ complete history of 
Vermont's Celebrated Murder Case, 1879. 
Paper. 120 pages. Price 75 cents. 

Life and Exploits of the Noted Criminal, 
Bristol Bill. This is the man who attemp- 
ted the life of Hon. Bliss N. Davis, in Cal- 
edonia County Court in June 1850, when 
on trial. 

A Memorial of the Town of Ham- 
stead, N. H. By Harriet E. Noyes. 
Cloth. 468 pages. Price $5.00. 

History of Acworth, N. H. Edited 
by Rev. J. L. Merrill, Acworth. 1869. Cloth. 
306 pages. 

Half-Tone Plate of the "Mountain 
Maid," the First Steamer on Lake 
Memphremagog. Price 25 cents. 

How Neshobe Came Up into The 
Green Mountains. Also The Dis- 
covery of Lake Bombazon by Samuel 
de Champlain. Compiled by John Mc- 



Nab Currier. M. D., 1914, Newport, Ver- 
mont. Only 75 copies issued. Price of the 
first 25 copies, $1.00 each; of the second 
25 copies, $1.25 each: of the third 25 cop- 
ies, $1.50 each. Only one copy will be sold 
to the same person. Printed on fine pa- 
per, uncut, with seven half-tone illus- 
trations. 

The Salvation Soldiers Song Book. 
Compiled by William Booth, General of 
the Army. This is an early copy good ai 
new. Price 75 cent*. 

There are three essential things neces- 
sary in running a Salvation Army — A bass 
drum to collect the rabble: a tambourine 
to collect the dimes in, they are too lazy 
to work: and a mud-hole to kneel in to 
show their pretended humility, but really 
love of notoriety. 

The New New- England Primer. 
By a citizen of Lake Bridge,Vermont, 191S. 
Paper. 25 pages. Newport, Vermont. 
Only five copies printed for each state in 
the Union. Price $1.00. 

"In the new religion there will be 
no deification of remarkable human 
beings." — Eliot's New Bible. 

None of John Cotton's "spiritual milk 
for babes" has been made use of in the 
production of this treatise, but all the 
light that Tyndall, Darwin, Huxley and 
Eliot could throw upon the subjects have 
been made available for their elucidation. 



The followimg Recommendations of 
this Primer have been received: 

Hon. Horace W. Bailey, United 
States Marshall for the District of 
Vermont. 

On April 3, 1913 Mr. Bailey writes: 
"The sample of the 'New New-Eng- 
land Primer' has whetted my appe- 
tite for the full edition and I shall 
look forward to its receipt with a 
great deal of pleasure; it may be a 
strong dose for a rank Methodist but 
I promise you in advance that I can 
stand it." 

On September 23. 1913 Mr. Bailey 
further writes: "The copy of The 
New New-England Primer received 



III. 



and read twice. The old New Eng- 
land Primer was designed as food 
for children but the New New-Eng- 
land Primer is food for grown peo- 
ple, giants, etc. Thank you sincere- 

ly." 



Rev. R. N. Joscelyn of the Meth 
odist Church at Newport, Vermont, 
1913-1914. 

On September 28, 1913 Mr. Jos- 
celyn delivered an evening sermon 
on "The Agnostic, and his place 
among the World's activities." The 
subject was announced previously 
in his weekly four-page program, in 
which were printed the principle 
headings of his sermon. In this 
sermon The New New-England 
Primer received a scorching criti- 
cism, and his hearers were advised 
against reading it. Agnosticism al- 
so received a share of his anathe- 
mas, with cautions not to be too 
credulous in receiving discoveries 
in science. 

Rev. Robert Nelson Joscelyn was 
born in the City of New York, May 
26. 1 864. He was the son of William 
Jewet Joscelyn. He is the best ed- 
ucated clergyman that has preached 
in the Methodist Church in Newport 
since its erection in 1869. He is a 
graduate of the New York Univer- 
sity in 1884. The degree of Doctor 
of Philosophy was conferred on him 
in 1886 by Columbia University. 
He is also a graduate of Columbia 
Law School in 1886. The degree of 
Master of Arts was conferred on him 
by Hamline University in 1887. He 
graduated from the Minnesota 
School of Theology in 1888. Later 
the degree of Doctor of Divinity was 
conferred upon him. 

Mr. Joscelyn founded the Albert 
Lea Evening Tribune in Southern 



Minnesota in 1898, which he con- 
ducted two years. It is still in a 
prosperous condition. 

He was Chaplain of the State 
Senate of Minnesota two terms, 
1899-1904. 

Mr. Joscelyn is a ready and'prac- 
tical speaker, and a popular lecturer. 
It was largely, if not wholly, through 
his influence and architectural taste, 
assisted by Mr. E. D. Clifford's me- 
chanical skill, that the Methodist 
Church in Newport, Vt., in 1914. 
was remodeled and made one of 
the handsomest churches in Ver- 
mont, at a cost certainly not much 
less than $12,000. Mr. Joscelyn cer 
tainly has a remarkable architectural 
taste, and ability in that direction. 
The following record shows his un- 
tiring zeal in that form of church 
work: In 1886-87 he built a church 
in Ashby. Minn., at a cost of $1700. 
In 1890 repaired a church at Beaver 
Falls. Minn., at a cost of $250. In 
1892 he built the Methodist Episco- 
pal Church at Morton. Minn., at a 
cost of $5500. In 1894 raised the 
money and helped build a church in 
Wells, Minn., at a cost of $15,000. 
In 1896 built the church in St. Pe- 
ters, Minn., costing $14,000. Also 
at same place built the janitor's 
house costing $15,000. In 1899 put 
in a new heating plant in the church 
and parsonage in Albert Lea. Minn., 
costing $300. In 1904 put in a new 
foundation under the church at 
Gardiner. Me., and decorated the 
Vestry, costing $700. In 1908 re- 
built and decorated the church at 
Biddeford. Me., at a cost of $3000. 
His works show him to be a man of 
untiring energy, a lover of the beau- 
tiful and picturesque, and a persis- 
tent faithful laborer in his chosen 
profession. 



IV. 



Edward A. Brown, one of the 
trustees of the Amesbury Public 
Library at Amesbury, Mass., ac- 
knowleges the receipt of a copy of 
the New New-England Primer, on 
December 15, 1913 in the following 
language: "Your letter enclosing 
the New New-England Primer gra- 
ciously received, and accept our 
thanks. This revised edition ac- 
cords with my views on theological 
matters." 



Hon. Riley E. Wright of Baltimore, 
Md., on January 24, 1914, writes: 
•'I received the New New-England 
Primer 'by a citizen of Newport, 
Vt.,' and enjoyed it very much. I 
don't know (agnoeo) expresses all as 
you have well elucidated. He who 
says he 'don't know' in the realms of 
the unknown is by the world liable 
to be written down as worse than the 
heathen — an atheist, i. e. one who 
has light and refuses to follow it. 
So brave is the man who dealing 
with matters of blind faith bravely 
says "I do not know" even if it be 
at the cost of being declared an ag- 
nostic, or untruthfully an atheist. 

In the Primer you have conclus- 
ively shown, I think, that when the 
tangible evidence is wanting to sup- 
port creed and dogma the honest 
man is left to no other course than 
to stand still till the light is turned 
on rather than to blindly grope in 
the dark. He can only take the 
honest, safe stand "I do not know." 

In the Primer, allow me to say, 
you have trenchantly, yet conserv- 
atively, and ably treated the subject 
in hand. And he who is so fortu- 
nate as to have a copy of the New 
New-England Primer has in a con- 
densed form much food for thought 



and reflection; and more he is told 
"to look before he leaps," a safe rule 
of action on earth, and why then 
not a salutary one to govern us in 
matters of religious faith? 

Yes your reasoning is sound, Doc- 
tor. I particularly enjoyed your 
statement of the once popular con- 
ception of Hell. Whether true or 
not you were apparently a safe dis- 
tance away from it about the 13th 
and 14th of this month." 

[This last remark refers to the ex- 
treme cold days of January 13 and 
14, 1914. On the 13th the temper- 
ature was not higher than 24 degrees 
below zero all day, and was much 
lower than that on the previous and 
following nights. At 8 o'clock on 
the morning of the 14th the tem- 
perature was 28 degrees below zero 
on Third Street in Newport.-J. M.C.] 



Extract from a letter written Feb- 
ruary 11, 1914, by the Rev. A. A. 
Murch, of Warsaw, N. Y., rector of 
the Episcopal Church at that place; 
and previously six years rector of 
the Episcopal Church at Newport, 
Vt. 

"In regard to the [New New-Eng- 
land] Primer; it is nicely gotten up; 
it is terse and to the point; and 
everything is clearly expressed. It 
is also eminently courteous and fair. 
As far as I know it states the agnos- 
tic position fairly, while it does not 
at all misrepresent the position of 
the religionist, nor of the infidel. 
The whole thing is there in short 
compass. One can very easily read 
it in a little while, while a longer 
treatise would probably be thrown 
aside unread — put off till a more 
convenient season, never to be tak- 
en up again. And so it would stand 



3477-251 
Lot-3£^ 



many chances of being misrepre- 
sented by those who would rjuess 
what was in it, and who would put 
upon the book the criticisms per- 
haps applicable to the position of 
agnostic, and those criticisms might 
perhaps be unfair to the position 
also, as well as to the work. My 
criticism of the agnostic position is 
something like this: I think that 
the agnostic requires evidence in 
regard to things in regard to which 
evidence is impossible. The agnos- 
tic says that the religionist imagines 
things, and states them for facts 
about which he i>' sure. Of course 
when he does this he goes beyond 
what seems right and straight to 
minds like ours. But it is only his 
way of putting it, the way in which 
he looks at it, the way that seems 
to him to be proper and correct. 
If you and I believed the things 
which he believes, or thinks that 
he believes, we would say, not that 
we are sure about them, but that we 
feel sure. His feelings are so strong 
that it gives him a feeling of cer- 
tainty, and he says that he is certain, 
that he knows, that there can be no 
possible doubt about it, and that it 
is absurd and even wicked not to 
believe it, and even not to be as 
sure of it as he is. He is a person 
of a different temperament from us. 
He may mean all right. Many of 
these things which he is so sure 
about are probably not at all true, 
just imaginings, assumptions, folk- 
lore, as you have said. When one 
gets to particularizing about unseen 
things, Heaven and hell, etc., etc., 
he is on very dangerous ground. 
He is assuming to give definite 
knowledge in regard to things as to 
which definite knowledge is not 



possible for men, and in regard to 
which definite knowlege is not 
necessary or even desirable." 



Hon. Charles A. Prouty, Director 
of Valuation in the Interstate Com- 
merce Commission, on July 30, 
1914, speaking of the New New-Eng- 
land Primer, said: "This is the 
best definition of a philosopher I 
have seen for many years." 



Mr. Joseph A. Harwood of Little- 
ton, Mass., in a letter of September 
6, 1914, says: 

"I read the New New-England 
Primer with much interest, and 
turned it over to my mother to read. 
Everything in it is true. I had never 
understood, or thought out, the dis- 
tinction between an agnostic and 
an infidel, and I am particularly 
glad to have that stated so clearly. 
The word agnostic it seems to me, 
has lost its stigma, or is fast losing 
it, among all people in New England, 
at least in my part of it. The Uni- 
tarian Church has long stood for 
the acceptance of truth from every 
source, let it bring what it will, and 
other churches are fast coming to- 
ward it. Here in Kentucky they 
are much more conservative.* It 
seems to me the time is coming 
when a good agnostic can be accept- 
ed as a good Christian too, meaning 
by Christian, not one who holds 
particular theories as to the birth 
and nature of Christ but one who 
aims to live in accordance with the 
principles which Christ himself 
practiced." 



*Stopping temporarily at Ashland, Ky.. 
Mr. Harwood writes from there. 






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